Letters to the editor: Snowden a threat

Published: August 5, 2013

Getting Snowden
So President Putin is giving our super traitor Edward Snowden "temporary refugee status."
Hopefully, our president and representatives in Washington will not let this "in your face" gesture go by without a positive response. It's time to stand up to this thug Putin. And do you want to get to Snowden?
Did anyone forget we are at war?

Ron Dakin
Spring Hill
Support Rubio
Our current immigration system is defective. Washington has recognized that we need immigration reform, and Sen. Marco Rubio recently passed a measure in the Senate that begins to address the issue. Legal immigration is the unique premise that has made America what it is today, but 11 million illegal immigrants not only threaten the future of our open-armed immigration policy, they threaten the economic health of our country and our nation's national security.
If passed in the House as well, Rubio's policy would immediately improve our immigration system as a whole. It does popular things like double border security and prevent the number of illegal immigrants in America from growing to an even higher number. It also addresses the less glamorous issues of legal immigration reform and an overhaul of the number of work visas that are distributed.
In addition to economic recovery and resident safety, this bill makes sense and offers real solutions. When leaders go to Washington and lead, we need to show them that we appreciate their actions by supporting them publicly. Sen. Rubio has made a valiant effort and has produced significant legislation. He needs our support.
Eric Fischman
TampaPhony sincerity
For the past two weeks President Obama and his spokesman have thrown the phrase "phony scandals" around to describe the political problems that have occurred since he was elected. Press Secretary Jay Carney has revealed that they were talking about Benghazi and the IRS situations.
In the Benghazi attack, four Americans were killed, with no one involved in the assault apprehended yet, and no one at the State Department responsible for letting it happen has lost a paycheck. And Obama, two weeks after it occurred, went to the U.N. and deliberately lied, I believe, about the cause at a time when he had to know the truth.
As for the IRS, he first condemned the targeting when he thought he could palm it off on a few low-level rogue agents. But now that testimony has shown a more extensive operation, the current IRS commissioner, who came straight from the White House, is doing everything he can to stonewall the investigation. So what is truly phony is any sincerity Obama tries to portray about getting to the bottom of these issues.
Dianne Kangrga
Brandon
Welcome addition
Your editorial July 25, "Listen to law enforcement and fix flawed 'stand your ground' law," makes it sound like you and Sheriff David Gee are trying to say the law prohibits the sheriff from making an arrest, even if he feels a crime has been committed during a self-defense shooting. That is not true. The law only removes the duty to exhaust all means of retreat before using deadly force to defend oneself. Previously, in addition to the trauma of defending oneself during the commission of a crime, the victim was later exposed to second-guessing as to whether or not all avenues of escape we attempted, unnecessarily increasing both criminal and civil liability.
Certainly, it is more politically expedient to make an arrest and let the jury sort out the facts, especially in high-profile cases. However, the sheriff is elected to investigate these crimes and decide if the law has been broken, or if there is sufficient evidence a crime has been committed. The sheriff is not handcuffed in any way to investigate and make an arrest when the facts deem that necessary. "Stand your ground" is a welcome addition to Florida law for law-abiding citizens.
Dennis E. Doll
TampaShame on county
Shame on Hillsborough County. The Family Justice Center has to close its doors to families who are in dire need of protection and assistance. If one of our major sporting venues or events needed $170,000 to survive, I am sure the money would be "found".
D. J. Streeter
Plant City

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